ABSTRACT
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak is being investigated by severe respirational syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) as a global health issue. It is crucial to propose sensitive and rapid coronavirus detectors. Herein, we propose a biosensor based on surface plasmon resonance (SPRE) for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus. To achieve improved sensitivity, a BiFeO3 layer is inserted between a metal (Ag) thin film and a graphene layer in the proposed SPRE device so that it has the structure BK7 prism/ Ag/ BiFeO3/ graphene/ analyte. It has been demonstrated that a small variation in the refractive index of the analyte can cause a considerable shift in the resonance angle caused by the remarkable dielectric properties of the BiFeO3 layer, which include a high index of refraction and low loss. The proposed device has shown an extremely high sensitivity of 293 deg/RIU by optimizing the thicknesses of Ag, BiFeO3, and the number of graphene sheets. The proposed SPRE-based sensor is encouraging for use in various sectors of biosensing because of its high sensitivity.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: Self-testing kits for SARS-CoV-2 appear effective, practical, safe and reliable as well as helping patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms to be successfully managed at home without going to hospital. As a result, ease pressures on hospitals. OTC vending machines offer the potential for SARS-CoV-2 self-testing kits alongside making available OTC treatments to alleviate the symptoms of COVID-19. As a result, providing confidentiality alongside ease of use in case people do not want their status broad casted. Consequently, there was a need to assess the acceptability and willingness regarding the availability of OTC vending machines to dispense self-testing kits for SARS-CoV-2 among UAE residents to provide future direction. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional survey using a designed questionnaire was based on previous research and expert input and pilot tested. All items in the final questionnaire were seen as acceptable with a satisfactory content validity. A purposive sampling strategy was used in the principal study by primarily sending a link to the questionnaire to UAE universities via Facebook and WhatsApp. Results: A total of 876 respondents participated in the study and completed the whole questionnaire. Most participants were female (63%), Arabic origin (42%) and holding a bachelor's degree (84.5%). There was high acceptability and willingness to use self-testing kits (87.2%), with 88.6% of respondents believing OTC vending machines would be beneficial for patients with actual or suspected SARS-CoV-2. Gender, nationality, educational level, employment status, having relatives infected with SARS-CoV-2 and being vaccinated were significantly associated with attitudes towards the self-testing kits. Recognised barriers include their potential costs, ease of access and help for those who cannot read the instructions. Conclusion: Overall, there was high acceptability and willingness to use OTC vending machines to deliver self-testing kits for SARS-CoV-2 among the surveyed participants. Key barriers will need to be addressed to enhance their use.